China urges respect for its territorial sovereignty

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman has slammed "obviously inaccurate" reports regarding former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's visit to Beijing in October 2012, urging respect for its territorial sovereignty.

In a recent interview regarding the Diaoyu Islands issue with NHK, a Japanese media group, Armitage reviewed a meeting with the Chinese side during the Beijing visit, which was also attended by some former U.S. politicians and academics.

He stressed that the Chinese leaders have repeatedly explicitly told guests from various countries including the United States that the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islets are China's inherent territory, which is an undeniable fact backed up by historical records and laws.

The spokesman said that China's stance on the Diaoyu Islands issue is consistent and clear.

The U.S. side should respect history and fact on issues regarding China's territorial sovereignty and not send wrong messages, said the spokesman.

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